entranceway | video; joint post

[ It’s not every day that the people of Wonderland get good news, and boy has Dean gotten some— at least according to his brother. It’s why when the feed clicks on, the view is of both brothers leaving the Mansion, their destination becoming clear within the next few seconds. Parked just outside sits a car, black surface shining and spotless and perfect.

And Dean? Dean looks beyond excited, breaking away from his brother with a few quick steps as he approaches the newly arrived vehicle. Like a kid in a candy store, he huffs a laugh as he approaches it, hand reaching out to touch the Impala the moment he’s close enough, an undeniable gasp leaving him as he does. ]

Baby—

[ Anything and anyone else seems to be forgotten after that, Dean’s focus entirely on the car. He all but embraces it, whispering —Sorry I left you, I’m back now, you’re so beautiful, I’ll never let anyone hurt or touch you again — things to what’s arguably a third Winchester by every standard except blood.

The reason it's all being recorded in the first place is due to Sam who, though the network can't see his face, has the whole scene playing out via his camera. The younger Winchester, who'd spotted the car earlier, just scoffs in honest disbelief. ]

Told you. I wouldn't've believed it, but... yeah. Guess she left it behind.

[ "For us" goes unspoken after the exceptionally awkward story that she'd elected to share with everyone. It's a backwards kind of bittersweet now that she'd gone, gifting them their literal mobile home. ]

Just wanted you to see it. I'll give you two a room.

[ With a little laugh, he turns away as if to head back inside. However, the video from the device switches to another recorded feed, one from a camera that Sam had stuck within the car before bringing his brother out. Apparently edited for content, a song queues up in the background to overlay the scene.

And what a scene it is. Anyone who actually decides it’s a good idea to keep watching will be subjected to more of, well, what’s already been going on. Dean’s all but kissing the car, rounding around the back until he’s at the driver’s side, then slipping in to sit behind the wheel. Hands feel down the steering wheel, then the side compartment — his cassettes, yes — and every inch of the car. All with Dean looking as if he’s been reunited with a long lost friend, words of affection still whispered to the car in a hushed tone.

Shh, this is a private moment. ]

( ooc; replies will come from both dean and sam )

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Oh, yeah. Dean "Uncomfortable" Winchester. Now you know how he earned it.

[ hue ]

... I'm giving him a lot of crap, but the car is really important. To both of us. Hell, we grew up in there; I've spent more time in the Impala than I have anywhere else.

All part of his natural charm.

[ Whereas Will initially thinks this is all alpha male bullshit and very well could be with it looking like Dean's going to clean it with his own tears of joy, Will also hasn't talked to either of them in enough depth to have unearthed that tidbit of information. It pushes the axis to tilt, letting Will see them from another angle - the boy who has the South's dusty roads mapped to his skin and stagnant marsh waters in his veins. ]

You two lived on the road?

Something like that. [ Sam is a little invasive with this; he gets along well enough with Will, but knows that Dean and Will aren't exactly friends. So, he keeps his tone light and offers a shrug in place of more words. ]

Yeah. My whole life, actually. [ Dean had had four years in a home, but not Sam. ] Spent all our time either in that car or in some cheap motel.

[ Answering unsolicited prods into your private life? Yeah, not Will either. He has sympathy for Sam, all but obligated to answer for his jackass brother and loving him in his own way. Will has to guess on it, the life of an only child.

So he lets it go unless Dean gets the bright idea of butting in; they haven't crossed words or swords since New Year's, to the benefit of both. As for the mobile home (quite literally), Will can't judge, adjusting his glasses and looking away. ]

My dad moved jobs a lot. I know a little bit about not sitting in one spot.

What'd your did do? [ Sam doubts Will's father had also been FBI, but it's definitely possible. After all, no one knew as much about "family business" as the Winchesters... ]

... It's not like we can really drive her around, but it's... weirdly reassuring just to know she's parked out here. [ He doesn't often refer to the car as a "she," like Dean does, but... well, he's feeling nostalgic. ]

[ Definitely not. Will might've gotten the idea that law enforcement was unhealthy or something and no one would want that. ]

This and that. My father worked odd jobs at sea, going where the work went. But it was me and him, travel was light and easy even when coming by money wasn't.

[ "She"? Ah, Dean really was the type. Will will have to forgive it for a deeper meaning for Sam's sake, but he can't help a small smirk. ]

Not going to be building a race course anytime soon?

Sounds familiar. Except with less "at sea" and "work" and more "on the road" and "monsters."

[ He smiles in a grim sort of way, the way that lends itself to a life of thankless jobs. ]

Nah, doubt it'll go that far. But... who knows. It's not like we don't have enough time. Might be more of a space issue.

[ Now that it's on his mind, Sam's not completely sure how far the land of Wonderland stretches. ]

Some play golf. [ Will expression's roils, a vague discomfort arising. ] What's that like? Hunting monsters with your dad.

[ Monsters, people that are monsters are so rare that Will's interested in hearing about literal ones, ostensibly an academic compare/contrast that cloaks a sharp trauma at Will's own close encounter, wondering if Sam shares the same marks.

And what, no one's tried a little deforestation to check? ]

Sounds like a boring fate for your chariot, however.

... Uh. It's... about what you'd expect. A lot of touch and go, near-death encounters, lying to each other, drinking away the angst. [ He smiles wryly; it's true, though it's an uncomfortable truth. ] Involves a lot more books than people'd think. It's more looking up old records and dates than it is... I dunno, staking vampires.

[ Maybe it's a bad example, since there are, in fact, vampires in Wonderland. ]

For the record, you cut off their head, not stake them.

[ YOU'RE WELCOME. ]

It's more a morale booster, just having it around. Maybe Dean'll be less... you know. With the Impala here.

I'll... keep it in mind. [ Thanks???? ] We have a couple around here, so... better to go prepared.

[ Will still can't make himself say "a couple vampires" even though logically he should get over himself, since he's accepted life in an actual fairy tale book land. But Sam talks about it so casually that Will is all the more aware how out of depth he is with less metaphorical monsters, and goes on to consider the value in eliminating a few if they did get their fangs in a dander.

Partly because Will wonders about himself, wanting to see if that zest Hannibal liked to accuse him of having applied cross-species. ]

Granted you have good associations. [ Which apparently they do, despite their... profession? Also he doubts anything will make Dean less Dean. ] I guess I can't picture a life of hunting monsters to really lead to that much happiness.

[ He hasn't got much, for instance. ]

You never know. [ His smile is grim; he's not saying that there's a good chance the vampires (at least one or some of them) would turn and start attacking, but there's always a chance. They've been pretty good so far, but... ] Like you said, can't hurt to be forewarned.

[ Sam snorts, shaking his head. ] Yeah, well, you'd be right. You get some karma, I guess, and sometimes it feels good to do right by the world, but most of the time it's bloody and pretty damn depressing.

[ At least he's honest. ]

But you don't really back out of the life once you're in it.